U.S. pullout of Iraqi cities a "milestone": Obama

WASHINGTON, June 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday described the completion of withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraqi cities as an "important milestone."

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks on Iraq in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, June 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

In brief remarks made at a White House event, he said the drawback meant that Iraq's future is now in the hands of its leaders and people.

"The Iraqis are rightly treating this day as a cause for celebration," Obama said.

Tuesday is the deadline for U.S. combat troops to pull out of all Iraq's cities and towns according to an agreement reached last year by Washington and Baghdad.

Obama warned of tough times ahead in Iraq, noting a bombing earlier Tuesday in Kirkuk that killed at least 30 people.

He said the United States would continue to support Iraq as it works to become "a "sovereign, stable, and self-reliant" country.

The U.S. withdrawal was part of an agreement signed last year between former President George W. Bush's administration and the Iraq leadership.

The agreement calls for all U.S. forces to leave Iraq by the end of 2011.